| Nonia Celsa | |
|---|---|
 17th-century imaginary portrait | |
| Roman empress | |
| Tenure | 217–218 |
| Spouse | Macrinus |
| Issue | Diadumenian |
| Father | Haius Diadumenianus (possibly) |
Nonia Celsa is the name given by theHistoria Augusta to the wife of Roman EmperorMacrinus (and presumed mother of his son and co-emperorDiadumenian), who ruled briefly in 217–218. The name is regarded as highly dubious by modern historians.
The only evidence of her existence is a happy letter allegedly written by Macrinus to his wife after he becameEmperor. The first line is as follows: "Opellius Macrinus to his wife Nonia Celsa. The good fortune to which we have attained, my dear wife, is incalculable."[1] The letter can be found in the biography of Diadumenian, part of a collection calledHistoria Augusta. Such "documents" are generally considered fabrications and the biographer(s) is also infamous for inventing people and names. Without further evidence even the existence of Nonia Celsa is highly dubious.[2]
TheHistoria Augusta also claims that her sonDiadumenian got his name from his maternal grandfather, which promptedAnthony R. Birley to identify her possible father as Haius Diadumenianus, the procurator of Macrinus' native Mauretania during the reign ofSeptimius Severus. If true it could imply that her name was actually Haia instead of Nonia.[3][4]
| Royal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Empress of Rome 217–218 | Succeeded by |
| Empress-Mother of Rome 217–218 | Succeeded by | |